‘I came home to find a car smashed into my house’ - mum tells of crash ordeal

Claire Sutcliffe returned home to find a car had crashed through her garden and into her house.

Published:11:46Wednesday 04 October 2017

A mum was left with a giant hole in her house after a car came off the road and crashed into it.

When Claire Sutcliffe returned to her home in Wood Street, Ossett on Friday, September 22, a scene of devastation greeted her.

Damage to the Ossett home.

Part of her garden fence and wall had been demolished and a vehicle sat on her front lawn, amongst a pile of rubble from her collapsed porch.

The 43-year-old, who has lived in the house for 11 years, said: “It looked like there had been an explosion or like another house had been demolished in my front garden.

“I just couldn’t believe it. It’s not the sort of thing you expect to go home to.”

Luckily, neither Miss Sutcliffe nor her son Myles Riley, 21, who also lives in the property, were inside at the time.

Damage to the property.

But her Pomeranian Bruce, five, was at home and “couldn’t stop shaking” after the incident.

Mr Riley and the dog are now staying elsewhere.

And Miss Sutcliffe’s three grandchildren, whose play equipment was smashed to pieces in the crash, have also been unable to visit.

“I didn’t know if my house was structurally safe,” she said. “It’s really lucky that no one was inside and nobody has been killed.”

The destruction in Claire's garden.

West Yorkshire Police said they received reports of a “vehicle in collision with a house” at around 4.55pm on Friday.

Miss Sutcliffe said: “I am still in shock. It is such a strange thing to happen. Every noise makes me jump. I just keep thinking is my house safe or is it going to fall down, can someone get in? There’s lots of cars and people outside coming to look. It’s just a total mess.”

A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and has been released pending further enquiries.